Book contents
- To Run the World
- Reviews
- TO Run the World
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Introduction
- Part I Ambition
- Part II Hubris
- 5 Love Us as We Are
- 6 The Golden Hoop
- 7 Twin Crises
- 8 Killing Flies
- 9 The Spirit of Camp David
- 10 Berlin
- 11 Cuba
- Part III Decline
- Part IV Collapse
- Acknowledgments
- Figures
- Notes
- Bibliographical Essay
- Index
11 - Cuba
from Part II - Hubris
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 May 2024
- To Run the World
- Reviews
- TO Run the World
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Introduction
- Part I Ambition
- Part II Hubris
- 5 Love Us as We Are
- 6 The Golden Hoop
- 7 Twin Crises
- 8 Killing Flies
- 9 The Spirit of Camp David
- 10 Berlin
- 11 Cuba
- Part III Decline
- Part IV Collapse
- Acknowledgments
- Figures
- Notes
- Bibliographical Essay
- Index
Summary
Why did Nikita Khrushchev send missiles to Cuba? This chapter argues that Cuba was important to him for two reasons: it bolstered his self-perception as an equal to the United States and addressed his concerns over a potential US invasion of Cuba, which would affect his reputation in the revolutionary world. He faced a challenge from Mao Zedong, who wanted to wrest the mantle of revolutionary leadership from the Soviets. Yet, having come to the brink over Cuba, Khrushchev backed off, understanding that reputational concerns were not as important as the imperative of avoiding a global nuclear war. The Cuban Missile Crisis provides not just a useful window into understanding Khrushchev's American policy, with its perennial fears of humiliation and sensitivity to slights, but also a crucial snapshot of Sino-Soviet relations on their downward slide towards an outright confrontation.
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- To Run the WorldThe Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power, pp. 294 - 328Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024